Rough, contrasting and labyrinthine, Alix Fernz’s compositions are part of a scalene enclave of post-punk, while flirting with the contours of hypnagogic pop. The result is a lo-fi hybrid oscillating between synthwave and alternative rock, carried by melodies that are both catchy and deliberately altered. Originally from Montreal, the artist sings about bar nights, psychosocial turmoil, addiction and existential questions, drawing on the imagery of fashion, cross-dressing and nocturnal creatures to deliver, through lyrics masked by effects, a form of coming-of-age in the cybernetic era of likes and memes.

‘With saturated riffs and an unapologetic quest for raw sound, Alix Fernz composes music imbued with a resolutely marginal DIY spirit,’ wrote The Line of Best Fit. His second album, Symphonie publicitaire sous influence, will be released on 17 October on the Mothland label.

Released on 19 April 2024, Bizou – the debut studio album by Alix Fernz, alias singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Alexandre Fournier – is at times immersive and vibrant, at times sharp and strident. It is based on an unexpected balance between candid writing and claustrophobic production.

‘Bizou defies labels: a mix of punk and French-language chanson, punctuated with electronic elements reminiscent of new wave. A fiery, spontaneous and explosive record, which even flirts with pop at times thanks to the frankness of its choruses,’ noted Le Devoir. On this first album, Alix Fernz deliberately moved away from classic pop formats, preferring sinuous prose where the tracks, with their free progression, subtly slide from post-punk to synthwave and hypnagogic pop.

Throughout its 32 decidedly atypical minutes, the album, brilliantly mixed by Emmanuel Éthier (Choses Sauvages, Corridor, P’tit Belliveau), sketches with frank and grounded poetry a reddish universe made up of nocturnal wanderings oscillating between reverie and nightmare.

On stage, Alix Fernz is accompanied by his acolytes: Nicolas Dubé (Stoylov) on guitar, keyboards and co-production, Vincent Lemay (Vincent Paul, Allô Fantôme) on bass, and Juan Espitia (Rau_Ze, Choses Sauvages) on drums. Together, they deliver a punk set with psychedelic accents, abrasive but strangely heady.

Regarding the launch of Bizou, Exclaim! wrote: “The music was distorted, but perfect for dancing; a tad dangerous, psychoactive and resolutely claustrophobic. Despite the absence of conventional structures, the band displayed impressive cohesion, making tempo breaks, silences and interludes flow smoothly. The whole thing was inhabited by Fernz’s nightmarish visions and sordid fantasies, as she engulfed her microphone like a possessed Karen O.”

Since arriving on the Montreal underground scene, Alix Fernz has shared the bill with transgressive artists such as Frankie & the Witch Fingers, This Is Lorelei, Kap Bambino, Deli Girls, Omni, Edith Nylon, Slash Need, Galaxie and Violett Pi. She has also appeared at numerous major events: The Great Escape, SXSW, FEQ, Les Francos de Montréal, Fifty Lab, M pour Montréal, Up Here, Project Nowhere, FME… not to mention a few dates in London.

With Symphonie publicitaire sous influence, Alix Fernz delivers a multifaceted second album, combining catchy choruses with experimental flourishes. It is a polymorphous work, both disconcerting and fascinating, which asserts an uncompromising stylistic freedom.